The present invention relates to an electrical connector including a housing and a terminal disposing in the housing.
When a conventional electrical connector (a connector) is fitted to a mating connector, in some cases, there is a foreign object between a terminal and a mating terminal of the mating connector or there is a film formed on a surface of the terminal or the mating terminal. For example, the foreign object may include a dust and so on, and the film may include an oxide film and so on. The foreign object described above can cause a poor electrical contact between the terminal and the mating terminal.
Patent Reference has disclosed a conventional electrical connector. According to Patent Reference, when the conventional electrical connector is fitted to a mating connector, a terminal thereof and a mating terminal of the mating connector slide against each other, thereby removing a foreign object and so on situated between the terminal and the mating terminal.    Patent Reference: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-059656
In the conventional electrical connector, a plug contact as a terminal of a plug connector is formed of a metal plate with a band shape curved in an approximate crank shape in a thickness direction thereof. The plug contact includes a contact portion for contacting with a receptacle contact as a terminal of a receptacle connector. The contact portion is situated at a middle portion of the plug contact and extends in a fitting direction (a vertical direction).
Further, the contact portion includes a protrusion gently protruding toward the receptacle contact in a horizontal direction and two protruding portions formed continuously next to the protrusion. The protruding portion has a protruded band shape protruding toward the receptacle contact. The protruding portion extends toward a lower side in the vertical direction and has a width narrower than that of the protrusion. The protrusion and the protruding portions protrude by the same amount, and protruding surfaces of the protrusion and the protruding portions are situated on the same plane.
The receptacle contact is formed of a metal plate with a band shape curved in a lateral S-shape in a thickness direction of the metal plate. The receptacle contact includes a bent portion extending in the vertical direction. The bent portion includes a contact protruding portion protruding toward the plug contact and extends in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction.
When the plug connector is fitted to the receptacle connector, the protrusion of the plug contact guides the contact protruding portion with a gently curved surface thereof and slides against the contact protruding portion, immediately followed by the protruding portions. Accordingly, when the conventional electrical connector is fitted to the mating connector, the foreign object between the terminal and the mating terminal is removed in a relatively wider area by a sliding contact with a relative elastic deformation between the contact protruding portion and the protrusion having a relatively wider width. Then, the foreign object can be removed further with stronger force by a subsequent sliding contact between the contact protruding portion and the protruding portions having a relatively narrower width.
In the conventional electrical connector disclosed in Patent Reference, when the plug connector is fitted to the receptacle connector, the protruding portions slide against the contact protruding portion of the receptacle contact following to the protrusion of the plug contact. As described above, the protruding portions are formed continuously next to the protrusion. Further, the protrusion and the protruding portions protrude by the same amount, and the protruding surfaces of the protrusion and the protruding portions are situated on the same plane. As a result, when the contact protruding portion of the receptacle connector is guided to the protrusion of the plug connector and then slides against the protruding portions, the contact protruding portion smoothly moves over from the protrusion to the protruding portions. Consequently, the foreign object cannot removed effectively since the contact protruding portion does not deform elastically further in a short period of time upon moving over from the protrusion to the protruding portions.
In view of the problems described above, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector capable of removing the foreign object effectively by a sliding contact between terminals of the electrical connector and a mating connector when the electrical connector is fitted to the mating connector.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.